The Trouble with GFs
by Elorah Seychah
Summary: Life was Idyllic and miracles happened. Not everything stays cosy for long. Odin has been trapped in his sword for too long. He now wants to escape, will he take the whole world with him.


The characters in this story as well as the places, the world etc belong to Square-Enix and not me :(

Prologue: Rinoa's Miracle

"Honey, could you get me a glass of water?"

Rinoa could see that her husband was already in the kitchen and so didn't feel bad about asking for something while he was there.

"Sure. You want anything else while I'm out here?"

"No, honey, it's fine"

Squall came into the living room and handed Rinoa the glass.

"Thanks," she replied before drinking.

"Rinoa?"

"Yes dear?"

"Are you alright, you've been shifting in your seat all day. You look like you're in pain?"

Rinoa could see the concern on Squall's face. She had not slept now for about a day and had stayed stretched out on the sofa every so often shifting and making a face.

"Well I am pregnant, you know! I feel so huge that I don't think I'll ever be comfortable again, but it's okay. I'm fine." Her weak smile did not hide the obvious pain that she was in.

"Okay." But please let me know if you need something."

A sudden cry broke the idyll, as Rinoa burst into tears. She looked up to find Squall kneeling beside her, concern etched upon his face, he gently wiped the tears from her face.

"Honey." Rinoa managed "I think that it's time." It was a whisper, but he heard what she said.

The next hour was a complete blur for Squall. It seemed to him that he was working completely on autopilot. The bags for the birth had been packed a few days ago but Squall felt the need to double check that they had everything that they needed several times. Once he was satisfied that all was well he packed the car and went over to his wife. He knelt down beside her, wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her gently from the sofa. As she stood she leaned into his chest and squeezed his arms tightly. Squall figured that it was the pain and held her in his arms until it had passed.

"You okay?" he whispered as he felt her relax a little.

She nodded and together they began to take small steps toward the door. Every so often he would feel her tense up but he knew that it was just the pain and so held her until she was ready to move again.

Once they reached the car Squall helped Rinoa in, attached the belt around her swollen belly and closed the door of the car. He got in to the driver's side, closed the door behind him and belted up. He looked over to his wife and smiled. He always marvelled at how well she had coped with the entire situation. All the tests in the beginning to see if she could carry the child to term, all the scans to make sure the child was growing well; she took it all in her stride. It was as if all she cared about was the tiny miracle growing inside of her. None of the tests mattered as long as their child was safe.

She smiled back at him and then took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"This is it. He's coming." She grinned.

"It certainly looks that way," he answered, still smiling at her.

He started the ignition and before they knew it they were on their way.

"I always wanted to know why you keep calling the baby a he?" Squall asked in an attempt to distract her from her discomfort.

"Um… well, I just know. Don't ask how, but I know. I knew he was going to be a boy. I knew the tests were pointless because somehow I knew that he was alright."

"If you knew that he was alright then why did you let the medical staff put you through all those tests?"

"I don't know. I guess it was for their peace of mind and for yours. You always looked so concerned. It didn't bother us, not really."

"Okay". And the conversation was over.

Squall was amazed that she would go through so much just so that she knew that he was alright. He had tried not to look too concerned when it came to Rinoa and the baby but it was always so hard he didn't want to lose them. Even though he never would actually admit to her that he was concerned in any way, she knew he was and always tried her best to make sure he knew that all was well.

"How much longer will it be until we get there, love? I really think our boy wants out!"

"Not long. Forty-five minutes or so. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just need some drugs. We're good, just a little tired is all."

Time went by almost in silence. Conversation wasn't at the forefront of Rinoa's mind. Every so often she would squeeze the leather of her seat but never made a noise. Squall saw pain in her eyes. He did not like to see her in this much pain. All he wanted to do was hold her. He felt so helpless, and what annoyed him the most was that there was nothing he could do to help.

Dr Kadowaki was waiting at the entrance of Garden when they arrived.

Squall felt apprehensive which was not like him at all. He got out of the car and went over to Rinoa who looked up weakly at him. She looked so tired. This would be the second night she hadn't slept, and the exhaustion was beginning to show. Squall opened the door, undid her belt and began to ease her out of the car gently. She clung to him as if he were her only life-line. He wrapped his arm around her back and held her up.

"Can you walk, dear? I can get a chair for you if you need it," Dr Kadowaki asked. All Rinoa did was nod; she didn't say anything, just clung to Squall. Once the chair arrived she was wheeled into the infirmary. Garden medical staffs were fully prepared for the arrival of Rinoa, and had been now for the past few months. It had been al long time since they dealt with a birth and so a midwife had been called in from Deling City for the occasion. The midwife had arrived over a week ago, and was immediately on hand upon her arrival. Both the doctor and midwife helped Rinoa out of her clothes, into a long nightdress and into a bed in the only private room in the infirmary. Once the midwife had had the opportunity to check Rinoa over and make sure she was comfortable, she signalled for Squall to come in to see his wife.

He was expecting was the exhausted woman that he had moments ago helped in to the infirmary. What he was met with was someone completely different. She looked wide awake and was grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to keep the shock from his face and he found himself staring, amazed at the way that she was coping with this.

"Hey, baby!" Rinoa chirped.

She even sounded happy, he thought.

He walked over to her bed and sat on the chair next to it; he instinctively took her hand and wiped some stray hair from her face.

"You alright? I know, stupid question."

"Yeah, Squall, I feel great! I can't believe that this stuff is legal."

"What is?" he asked, confused.

From the corner of his eye he could see something in Rinoa's free hand, like a mouth piece. She held it up for him to see and then took a large breath from it while squeezing his hand.

"This," she said. "It's for the pain but it's like being on some kind of drug. I don't know why but I feel better now than I have in days!"

Happy enough to make jokes about it, he thought. She did look better, though. He just sat and watched for a while and then they talked, mainly about the excellent drugs that she was getting for the pain. Every so often the midwife would come back and check on her and eventually the midwife wouldn't leave at all. During all the interruptions and all the talk of hospital medication she had remained calm and almost content. She had even surprised most of the staff with the way in which she handled the pain. Some time during the four or so hours that she had already been there she had slowly drifted into a light sleep as if her own body was preparing for what was to come. Squall sitting on the chair sitting beside her holding her hand had somehow managed to get some sleep as she did.

Squall was awoken by a scream. He was awake immediately and looked over to where Rinoa lay. She bolted upright in her bed and screamed in pain, squeezing Squall's hand and almost crushing it. The midwife examined Rinoa. She looked at Squall.

"It's time," was all that she said.

The room lost its tranquillity and all Squall could hear was Rinoa shifting in the bed, telling him that it was too painful, that she couldn't do it. He was not even sure if he should be in the room. Quite frankly he was not sure what he should be doing. He took his cue from her.

She squeezed his hand tighter and tighter.

"Please don't go" she whispered.

That was all he needed to stay where he was. He didn't speak. No-one did. He just held her hand and rubbed her back gently.

By midnight, Rinoa was exhausted. She wasn't sure how long she could continue. The pain just got worse and worse. The midwife had told her that it was nearly over, that it would not be long now. It felt like she had been told that for hours.

Each time she cried in pain Squall grew more and more concerned. Surely there was more he could do than just sit there encouraging her and promising that it would be over soon. He absolutely hated the fact that there was nothing that he could do to really help, and he did not realise that to Rinoa him being there at all was enough. The minutes that ticked by seemed to last forever. It seemed as though time had stopped. He stared at the clock and then back at his wife.

"That's it, dear," the midwife said. "One last push!"

Rinoa gave all that she could in that final push. She heard a faint cry as she fell back onto the bed, the pain gone as if it were never there.

Squall leaned over the bed and kissed his wife's cheek. He looked at her with such love in his eyes.

"We have a son," he whispered in her ear. "I love you'

At the same as Zack Leonhart's first cries were heard, the Fire Cavern next to Balamb Garden froze over.

Well I hope you have enjoyed the first instalment of what I am hoping will become a good story. I know some of you will be uncomfortable with Rinoa being able to have children, but it suits my later plot...it just as much a suprize to her as it was to you, as you will find out later on. Next chapter will focus on our friends at Esthar...so hopefuly there will be some interesting and amusing moments there. Chaos hits their world again, and Squall is left working overtime to figure out whats happening. Who will be left 'holding the baby' as it were...


End file.
